September 12, 2009 (Tooele, UT)

Thunder Valley Racing editor Karen Salvaggio secured an impressive 4th place finish driving her Factory Five Challenge Series Cobra in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Nationals held at Miller Motorsports Park.  Racing against the best-of-the-best drivers in the FFR Challenge Series,  Salvaggio had her work cut out the entire week, with top competitors from around the nation converging on this world class motorsports facility

Wednesday practice brought heartbreak to the team, when the engine in their Ford 302-powered Cobra lost oil pressure, and the car was sidelined from warm-up’s. Team TVR had come prepared though, and with the assistance of expert mechanic Mark Dougherty, mechanics Andy Salvaggio, Roman Vaisman, and Randy Stevens swapped engines in record time,  and had Karen ready to take the track on Thursday morning.

Karen would start fifth on grid for Thursday’s Qualifying race,  and after battling hard, would finish 3rd in the race. All competitors would report to impound following the race, and after technical scrutiny, one of her competitors would be disqualified, moving her up to 2nd place leading into Friday’s competition. Team Thunder Valley Racing continued to work hard on the car, making suspension and handling adjustments, and assuring all systems were “Go” for Friday’s racing action.

Friday’s race was again tough, with Karen battling it out with Dave Standridge (2006 FFR national Champion), and 2008 East Coast Champion John George. In the end, Karen would finish 5th in the race, and the stage would be set for Saturday’s National Championship race.

Karen would grid in 3rd position for the championship race, and when the green flag fell, the thundering pack of Cobras screamed down the long (1.1 mile) front straight at Miller MP. In the thick of the battle, the #28 Cobra would sustain damage to the left rear wheel/axle, resulting in a massive amount of toe out in the rear. Karen hung on, and after fighting the car for all 45 minutes of the race, would cross the finish line in 4th position overall. After the race, Karen commented, “Big thanks to my crew for all of their hard work this week. They never gave up, and I’m a lucky dog to have each of them on my team!  Big thanks also to expert builder Mark Dougherty, and to Jim Schenck from Factory Five Racing for their support this week as well. Congratulations to Scott McKay for securing a repeat National Championship, and to Paul Kaiser and John George for solid podium finishes in a very tough field.”

Karen returns to her home in Southern California, where she has already secured the 2009 California Pony Cup Championship, and will finish the season with competitions at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in October and November, looking to secure the 2009 Southern California Championship as well.

Team Thunder Valley Racing has also set its sights on winning the 25 Hours of Thunderhill this year. The team will be campaigning the first ever FFR Type 65 (Daytona) Coupe  in the longest endurance race held in North America. The 25 Hours competition will be held at Thunderhill Raceway Park, December 5-6, 2009. With a 2009 regional championship and a top five ranking on the national level, this team has proven they’ve got what it takes to endure and win!

Follow all of the racing action from the 25 Hours race at:

www.teamcobra25hours.com